OS X Steam games on OS X and Gatekeeper (aka "Verifying")

[imrazor]

A recurring problem I've been having with gaming on Macs is Gatekeeper's insistence on 'verifying' every Steam game I download. Since many of these games are quite large (some over 100GB) this verification process can take hours. It seems absurd to have to wait hours for Apple to 'bless' a game that I've already spent a considerable amount of time downloading.

Yet I see very few complaints online about this issue. Are Mac users that ... complacent? Are Steam gamers on Mac such a rarity that their distress is given as much attention as a gnat's fart?

 

[Irishman]

A recurring problem I've been having with gaming on Macs is Gatekeeper's insistence on 'verifying' every Steam game I download. Since many of these games are quite large (some over 100GB) this verification process can take hours. It seems absurd to have to wait hours for Apple to 'bless' a game that I've already spent a considerable amount of time downloading.

Yet I see very few complaints online about this issue. Are Mac users that ... complacent? Are Steam gamers on Mac such a rarity that their distress is given as much attention as a gnat's fart?

Um, why is this a problem?

Maybe you’re expecting more than is reasonable.

After all, isn’t “verifying” just another label for any other sort of different labels on Windows and Linux?

Why is it bad?!?

 

[salamanderjuice]

Um, why is this a problem?

Maybe you’re expecting more than is reasonable.

After all, isn’t “verifying” just another label for any other sort of different labels on Windows and Linux?

Why is it bad?!?

No? Windows and Linux don't have anything like Gatekeeper in macOS requiring verification to run a game downloaded from Steam.

If you already trust the game devs and Steam, waiting hours for Apple to "verify" it is just a waste of time.

 

[imrazor]

Because Gatekeeper takes *hours* to verify a multi-gigabyte game. On Windows or Linux once you’ve downloaded or installed a game, it’s ready to go instantly. No waiting for the operating system to scan and ‘bless’ your game’s executable and assets.

Now sometimes you’ll get a popup on other OS’s asking if you want to give the game access to certain resources (network access usually) but Gatekeeper is far more intrusive.

 

[jeanlain]

I've never experienced such delay. I am using the latest macOS.
I just tried installing Tomb Raider 2013. Ok, the game doesn't take that much space (10 GB), but verification was basically instant (syspolicyd showed up for a couple of seconds).

EDIT: bordelands 2 took a bit longer, but less than 10s.

 

[Irishman]

I've never experienced such delay. I am using the latest macOS.
I just tried installing Tomb Raider 2013. Ok, the game doesn't take that much space (10 GB), but verification was basically instant (syspolicyd showed up for a couple of seconds).

EDIT: bordelands 2 took a bit longer, but less than 10s.

Same with me on Steam! I’ve been playing games on my 2012 iMac since I bought it new.

It just seems like they’re repeating something that heard on a forum somewhere and passing it on as gospel.

Guys, where did you learn about this “hours” thing?

Finally, since it’s never been a problem for jeanlain or me, what would Apple stand to gain by making you wait hours for your Steam games to download due to Gatekeeper down-throttling?!?

 

[Homy]

A recurring problem I've been having with gaming on Macs is Gatekeeper's insistence on 'verifying' every Steam game I download. Since many of these games are quite large (some over 100GB) this verification process can take hours. It seems absurd to have to wait hours for Apple to 'bless' a game that I've already spent a considerable amount of time downloading.

Yet I see very few complaints online about this issue. Are Mac users that ... complacent? Are Steam gamers on Mac such a rarity that their distress is given as much attention as a gnat's fart?

You asked the same question 5 months ago. Back then it was about 40+ GB games taking hours to verify, now it’s about 100+ GB games. You never mention which games you have problem with or which Mac you’re using.

The verification process can be much slower on older Macs like your 2012 MBP or 2017 iMac. I have never encountered a situation where the verification takes ”hours”. The longest time that has felt like ”hours” been a couple of minutes even for large files. If it takes hours or the process gets stuck it can be because of file privileges. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked about verification for all the Windows games I use with Crossover either.

As I understand it also happens more likely to unnotarized applications. Many games, especially older ones are not macOS notarized because the developers don’t want to pay $99 a year for a developer account. Notarized games/apps have already been checked by Apple so Gatekeeper only has to check the authenticity. If not the verification can take longer.

For example the games mentioned above, Tomb Raider 2013 and Borderlands 2 are NOT ”macosnotarized” and require verification, unlike Shadow of the Tomb Raider. You can check your game on Steamdb. You can also make exceptions for applications in the security settings in macOS for trusted sites and developers.

 

[imrazor]

You asked the same question 5 months ago. Back then it was about 40+ GB games taking hours to verify, now it’s about 100+ GB games. You never mention which games you have problem with or which Mac you’re using.

The verification process can be much slower on older Macs like your 2012 MBP or 2017 iMac. I have never encountered a situation where the verification takes ”hours”. The longest time that has felt like ”hours” been a couple of minutes even for large files. If it takes hours or the process gets stuck it can be because of file privileges. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked about verification for all the Windows games I use with Crossover either.

As I understand it also happens more likely to unnotarized applications. Many games, especially older ones are not macOS notarized because the developers don’t want to pay $99 a year for a developer account. Notarized games/apps have already been checked by Apple so Gatekeeper only has to check the authenticity. If not the verification can take longer.

For example the games mentioned above, Tomb Raider 2013 and Borderlands 2 are NOT ”macosnotarized” and require verification, unlike Shadow of the Tomb Raider. You can check your game on Steamdb. You can also make exceptions for applications in the security settings in macOS for trusted sites and developers.

View attachment 2395977View attachment 2395978

The last time this issue bit me (the resulting post you linked to) was for a game called Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. It is a top down RPG by an indie developer and I confirmed that it was not 'notarized' by Apple in SteamDB. The other game I was trying to install was Baldur's Gate 3, and it also does not have the "macosnotarized" designation in SteamDB. I had been encountering difficulties installing on not only on my Intel iMac from 2017, but also an M3 MacBook Pro. You are correct that the verification process was quicker on the Apple Silicon Mac, but it was still odiously long (~30 minutes.)

Other possible complications: installing the game to an external drive or a non-APFS filesystem. And indeed I finally did have to delete several gigs worth of other games and install to my internal SSD to get the game to install in under an hour on the MacBook Pro. That simply wasn't an option on the Intel iMac due to an even smaller internal SSD.

Like you I also do not run into the issue when installing a Windows game via Crossover, or in a virtual machine. Gatekeeper only seems to scan native Intel Mac or Apple Silicon games.

But honestly I don't give a gnat's fart if it was notarized by Apple, the developer or Mickey Mouse. These kind of complications simply do not exist on other platforms, and Apple customers should not have to put up with such an obnoxious install process.

That said your testimonial about not having to wait more than a few seconds or minutes is puzzling to me. But the lack of many other Mac users complaining tends to support that experience. I'm open to the possibility that both of my Macs have some odd configuration issue, though that does seem unlikely to me. This is an issue I've been having with Gatekeeper for years and my patience is running very thin.

If it is of any help, this is the dialog that pops up on my Mac during the verification process.

And no, I'm not exaggerating when I say that it stays there for hours on the iMac, and half an hour on the M3 MacBook Pro.

 

[Irishman]

The last time this issue bit me (the resulting post you linked to) was for a game called Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. It is a top down RPG by an indie developer and I confirmed that it was not 'notarized' by Apple in SteamDB. The other game I was trying to install was Baldur's Gate 3, and it also does not have the "macosnotarized" designation in SteamDB. I had been encountering difficulties installing on not only on my Intel iMac from 2017, but also an M3 MacBook Pro. You are correct that the verification process was quicker on the Apple Silicon Mac, but it was still odiously long (~30 minutes.)

Other possible complications: installing the game to an external drive or a non-APFS filesystem. And indeed I finally did have to delete several gigs worth of other games and install to my internal SSD to get the game to install in under an hour on the MacBook Pro. That simply wasn't an option on the Intel iMac due to an even smaller internal SSD.

Like you I also do not run into the issue when installing a Windows game via Crossover, or in a virtual machine. Gatekeeper only seems to scan native Intel Mac or Apple Silicon games.

But honestly I don't give a gnat's fart if it was notarized by Apple, the developer or Mickey Mouse. These kind of complications simply do not exist on other platforms, and Apple customers should not have to put up with such an obnoxious install process.

That said your testimonial about not having to wait more than a few seconds or minutes is puzzling to me. But the lack of many other Mac users complaining tends to support that experience. I'm open to the possibility that both of my Macs have some odd configuration issue, though that does seem unlikely to me. This is an issue I've been having with Gatekeeper for years and my patience is running very thin.

If it is of any help, this is the dialog that pops up on my Mac during the verification process.
View attachment 2396147
And no, I'm not exaggerating when I say that it stays there for hours on the iMac, and half an hour on the M3 MacBook Pro.

You have made it clear that you only want to whine and complain.

If you don’t want it, I’ll take your M3 MBP!

Let me know if you want my shipping address.

 

[Homy]

The last time this issue bit me (the resulting post you linked to) was for a game called Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. It is a top down RPG by an indie developer and I confirmed that it was not 'notarized' by Apple in SteamDB. The other game I was trying to install was Baldur's Gate 3, and it also does not have the "macosnotarized" designation in SteamDB. I had been encountering difficulties installing on not only on my Intel iMac from 2017, but also an M3 MacBook Pro. You are correct that the verification process was quicker on the Apple Silicon Mac, but it was still odiously long (~30 minutes.)

Other possible complications: installing the game to an external drive or a non-APFS filesystem. And indeed I finally did have to delete several gigs worth of other games and install to my internal SSD to get the game to install in under an hour on the MacBook Pro. That simply wasn't an option on the Intel iMac due to an even smaller internal SSD.

Like you I also do not run into the issue when installing a Windows game via Crossover, or in a virtual machine. Gatekeeper only seems to scan native Intel Mac or Apple Silicon games.

But honestly I don't give a gnat's fart if it was notarized by Apple, the developer or Mickey Mouse. These kind of complications simply do not exist on other platforms, and Apple customers should not have to put up with such an obnoxious install process.

That said your testimonial about not having to wait more than a few seconds or minutes is puzzling to me. But the lack of many other Mac users complaining tends to support that experience. I'm open to the possibility that both of my Macs have some odd configuration issue, though that does seem unlikely to me. This is an issue I've been having with Gatekeeper for years and my patience is running very thin.

If it is of any help, this is the dialog that pops up on my Mac during the verification process.
View attachment 2396147
And no, I'm not exaggerating when I say that it stays there for hours on the iMac, and half an hour on the M3 MacBook Pro.

I'm sure you are experiencing problems but that's how macOS works for the sake of security and as many have said your problems happen rarely. I have all my games on an external HFS+ formatted HDD and never experience these problems.

Have you given Steam and BG3 full access to your drives? Many games ask that during the installation or at start and it seems to have helped many BG3 players. Check the Settings>Privacy&Security>Full Disk Access.

 

[imrazor]

@Homy Apologies for the delayed response. Yes, giving Steam and the game full disk access did work. I was not, to the best of my recollection, prompted by either app to add those permissions. But adding them to "Full Disk Access" did indeed bypass the verification, or at least made it so quick as to not even be perceptible.

 

[Homy]

@Homy Apologies for the delayed response. Yes, giving Steam and the game full disk access did work. I was not, to the best of my recollection, prompted by either app to add those permissions. But adding them to "Full Disk Access" did indeed bypass the verification, or at least made it so quick as to not even be perceptible.

Glad it helped. Happy gaming!